Mosher

Haven't started the final season yet, but I'm one of the ones who actually have liked every season of DISCO. 

There are big flaws, of course. But I believe it's leaving much better than it began. 

I expect to really enjoy the final season.

Every single season is peak tv for me. I loved this last season maybe the most, but if I go back I know I might choose another. Whichever one I'm currently watching. So very good. 

I actively seek out music from all around the world looking for music. It's not easy, I listen to a lot of bad music, or boring music. But I'm rewarded all the time. 

It's ridiculous to think there's nothing new.. 

The industry works hard at controlling taste, and it's more successful than ever. Independence in radio is harder to find, so a dj can't break a band as often as they used to. 

It's harder to create a strong local scene around a new sound when instant entertainment is already in your hand every minute of every day.

It's harder to commit to a band, hit the road and work for it, when the chances of making enough money for gas and food are lower than ever. Harder to sell music, merch, and tickets.

The airwaves are more dominated by corporate music than ever before, switching dials in many markets is just an exercise in old music or pop music. Pop music is overly controlled now, and other new music is ignored. 

Of course old music is huge. A lot of people are new to it, and it's got more variety because more variety has a way to get heard. 

But music is art, creative people exist, and there's always someone playing around with a guitar doing something new. 

Music isn't exhausted.

Old people have always been annoying in this claim. If it's new and good it's derivative. If it's new and not derivative, it's not good. Nothing says I'm stuck in the past like that. 

I could mention new bands I like and everyone will either say it's not good, or point out the styles they recognize, or both. Just like their fathers did to them, just like their grandfather's did to their father. 

Music is art, a lot of people who get into at want to create something new. 

It's harder to find than ever, but that's not the fault of the artist. There out there trying. A lot of them have to make money, though, and it's harder than ever to get your music listened to and paid for.

Fantastic band, fantastic writers.

Great job Goose.

There's a decent pool of contributors, now. 

I'd love to see more, of course. 

The Anarchist, by the way, can easily be a top 5 song. :)

33 minutes ago, goose said:

Once again, thank you's go out to Derek for keeping track of things.  Rest assured that contingencies are in place!

 

An aspect I love about RUSH is their artistry, which for me is reflected in how they used music and lyrics to set a mood.  These next three songs are examples of that...songs that transport the listener (me) to another state,.

 

9. The Fountain of Lamneth

8. Jacob's Ladder

7. The Camera Eye

I love the ranking of Camera Eye. It has steadily risen over the decades, and it seems to keep rising. It might not be here for me yet, but who knows what the future holds? Great song. 

Jacob's Ladder had an early peak for me, but the initial drop hasn't led to a steady decline. Just an initial modest drop. Great atmosphere, but doesn't go far enough for me to keep it very high. no skipping, though. Still an excellent song.

And Fountain. I've always loved it. And bizarrely it is the very first epic I heard by Rush, because radio wasn't playing the epics and my first Rush was a cassette bought by my parents. I requested Rush, and I received CoS. I guarantee it was the cheapest available (no disrespect, we weren't exactly well off). Fountain blew me away. It was my first epic of any kind, actually, and I wanted more and more and more. 

Working Man is brilliant and deserves a high ranking. I don't really include it the same way for my own list, but it's importance is huge, and it's a great song. 

And of course Clockwork is truly excellent

10 hours ago, goose said:

Here are four more tracks that are worth of top ten, or even top 5.  These are my highest ranking short-form RUSH songs, the greatest of the non-epics.  Perfectly crafted musically, they also reflect Neil's best social commentaries.  Well, three of them anyway...  

 

15. Subdivisions

14. Limelight

13. A Passage To Bangkok

12. Freewill

 

 

Three of these are forever top 20 songs for me. Musically Limelight and Freewill are phenomenal, and lyrically excellent. Subdivisions was one of the first wordy songs I learned the lyrics to. Musically not up with the other two but lyrically even better. All three are fantastic. 

Passage was a huge favorite at one time. Now, while I like it, I find the 9-note stereotype at the beginning eye-roll inducing. So that detracts.

That aside it still rates high.

32 minutes ago, goose said:

And we're into the top 20.  At any given time, any of these could be Top 10, even Top 5, perhaps.  It's why I love this band, they put out so many amazing songs, and all so different.  Can't say that about my other top bands like Van Halen, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, etc.  Here's the five that feel in at 20 thru 15...a complete Alex-fest.

 

20. Circumstances

19. Kid Gloves

18. YYZ

17. Analog Kid

16. The Spirit of Radio

All brilliant songs.

Kid Gloves is the superior one here for me, always top 10,  but nothing to argue here. 

4 hours ago, goose said:

 

26. Headlong Flight:  A lot of fans wondered if RUSH was capable of re-capturing the spirit of the classic epics.  It had been decades since the the band, it seemed, had happily settled into AOR mode.  And then Clockwork Angels happened.  A monster of an album, it featured not one, not two, but three longer epic tracks.  Headlong Flight is the second best of these, and it delivers.  

25. Main Monkey Business:  Vapor Trail necessarily featured a tone reflective of the anger and desperation Neil experienced on his road to recovery.  Snakes and Arrows' instrumentals were a perfect follow up to that, signaling a return to the heavy but melodic music the band was so well known for. And, in terms of tone and phrasing, MMB features some of my all-time favorite Alex moments.

Agreed on Clockwork's impact, and I personally view the whole album as one track. 

Headlong isn't as high for me, but that's no slight. Everything about the album is great. Even BU2B2, which I don't really count as a song, works within the larger piece very well.

Main is a fantastic instrumental. I have MalNar higher, but so what. Either are better than most other songs on Snakes.

Here Again is climbing as we speak. :)

(you're not the first to do that. It just shows how readily songs can shift in their catalog depending on the day. 

2 hours ago, Derek19 said:

Goose (Allen), you have "Here Again" at #57.

 

 

...because it's here again, right?

9 hours ago, goose said:

Pretty sure I rank the debut album higher than most, but, after All the World's a Stage, it's the album that really turned me on to the band.  I still love those songs and enjoy the energy and creativity that Alex brought to the guitar parts.  Geddy's bass chops are evident as well, and Rutsey does a fine job as a pocket drummer.  So there are a full five songs from the album that I've placed in the top 32, the most of any album.  Hemispheres, PWaves and Pictures come in with four each, Clockwork, FBN, Caress, Kings, Signals and GUP with one or two.  Nothing beyond GUP makes it this far.

 

32.  Before & After:  With a dreamy intro that gives way to a driving rocker, this may be the band's first hint at the epics that would come.  

31.  Afterimage:  One of the band's most poignant songs lyrically, it's also an up tempo 80s jam.   

30.  The Trees:  A bit silly lyrically, but its musical genius carries the day.  Could any other band make something like this a hit?

29.  By-Tor & The Snowdog:  The first epic!  The Geddy-Alex battle is classic, and few songs beat it live.

28. The Necromancer:  The heavier follow up to ByTor, and the better of the two, imo.  Alex slays it.

 

 

I really enjoy the structure of Before and After and I agree that this one, along with Working Man, does speak to their potential. And in fairness to my typical first album criticism, I believe that even without Neil, Geddy and Alex would still have soon been writing better lyrics and more complex music. The seeds are there.

Afterimage was the final song from Grace that really clicked for me, but now it's a favorite.

The Trees was such a clever song to the child in me. Its simple metaphor is so applicable to almost any cause that it reads like a children's fable. Certainly to adult ears it feels forced and obvious, but never underestimate the power to impact youth. Attach it to your favorite issue: Quebec vs English Canada, Canada vs US, rich vs poor, labor vs management, capitalism vs communism- it can be made to fit it all. And therefore someone out there has already done that.

To the kid I was it was even more simple. It was just a warning that when two groups start hating each other there's a third that's waiting to cut you all down together. Musically it's great as well. I agree that the lyrics are weak until I remember how it resonated when I was young.

By-Tor is the perfect first epic. It's fun, blistering, creative, and not remotely serious. It opens the door for riskier experiments later.

Necromancer has a spoken post that ages very poorly, at least to me. Good thing they did By-Tor first. But musically Alex steals the show and singlehandedly makes the song one of their best.

12 hours ago, Mosher said:

Critical error? 
I do not hear what you hear. 

I agree on Sweet Miracle lyrically, but not yet capable of liking the song. 

Red Lenses musically is excellent. But lyrically, or at least the quasi-comical delivery of the lyrics, hurts me. When Geddy says, 'not blue' I feel blue. Why oh why make a great song and sing it like ...this? I actually only skip it if I'm really listening- if it's just on for my background it always plays through- the music is great fun. Sweet Miracle I used to always skip but lately I don't, I'm still waiting for it to click.

And here I am commenting on Sweet Miracle, when you clearly wrote "Stars Look Down"

Stars Look Down is is a great song, the only reason it suffers is Geddy's vocals right directly before the first "Stars Look Down"---
'What is the meaning of this?' The meaning of this complaint is that you sing that part way too high.

The rest of the song is brilliant.

By the way, I love your analogy. I need to use that for my super-inflated picks- like Prime Mover. 

4 hours ago, goose said:

It was a busy week, and as a result I've been neglectful of my ranking duties.  It works out though, because it frames the theme for  this next group of songs.  Imagine getting hung up at work on the night of the big concert, enduring the hassle of finding a late-arrival parking spot, waiting in line to get in as the echo of the opening song's notes reverberate from the venue, making your way through the crowd to your seats only to find them filled.  That's how about 50 of the songs already posted in my ranking feel toward these two.  I present to you, the "Excuse me, I think you're in my seat" songs.

 

37.  Stars Look Down:  I love the lyrics, the music, the vocals, Alex's simple but blistering solo. But better than Tom Sawyer and Distant Early Warning?  

36.  Red Lenses:  Uniquely experimental, a turning point for the band, fantastically groovy break!  Still, at #36, I'm gonna need to see your ticket.

 

Critical error? 
I do not hear what you hear. 

I agree on Sweet Miracle lyrically, but not yet capable of liking the song. 

Red Lenses musically is excellent. But lyrically, or at least the quasi-comical delivery of the lyrics, hurts me. When Geddy says, 'not blue' I feel blue. Why oh why make a great song and sing it like ...this? I actually only skip it if I'm really listening- if it's just on for my background it always plays through- the music is great fun. Sweet Miracle I used to always skip but lately I don't, I'm still waiting for it to click.

12 hours ago, goose said:

Speaking of tough rankings, how does one go about ranking the hits?  Personally, I can't, so I'll list them as a group.  Here's a group of RUSH songs, new and old, that seem designed for radio play.  Somehow, a few actually achieved it!

 

49. Chain Lightning - Presto's most radio-friendly song

48. BU2B - As built for radio as anything Clockwork offered.  A bit too heavy, though

47.  Dreamline - When we are young...learning we're only immortal for a limited time  Such a great line 

46.  Test For Echo -  Great  hard-rocking riff

45. The Big Money - A RUSH video that doesn't suck?!?  

44. Distant Early Warning - One of their best album openers

43. New World Man - Their highest charting song! 

42.  Closer to the Heart - The band's theme song, really

41.  Earthshine - As strong as any radio-type song they've written

40.  Fly By Night - The first true RUSH single, and their most enduring  

39. Finding My Way - Kick ass.  This should be better known 

38.  Tom Sawyer - If Fly By Night put the band on the map, this put them on the globe.  Just a killer sounding track  

 

Chain Lightning is by far my favorite off Presto. I relate to that song so much. Nice to see it top 50.
BU2B is great as most Clockwork songs are. Is it the most radio friendly? I don't know that any of them are. 
Dreamline was, to me, a necessary course correction song. It didn't prove to be the course correction I expected, but when I first heard it I was so sure. Great song.
Test For Echo is better every time I hear it, but this is too high for me. 
Big Money has one of their best outros, I love this one live. 
Distant Early Warning- interestingly I really liked that video when I was young. I remember falling for that song while watching videos late night at a friends house on weekends. It's dropped for me since then, but still a great song. 
New World Man was the first Rush song I owned. K-Tel! Thank you, mom. Memorized this one early. 
Closer was always great but it has dropped by a lot. Overexposure dropped it below a lot of songs for me. 
Earthshine, hands down best on Vapor, although several tracks there are finally climbing the ladder. 
Fly By Night- so radio friendly, yet so good. It has the best of the debut with the creativity of their prog combining into a great rock song. 
Finding My Way. Oh Well. Can't agree on everything. Great music, though. 
Tom Sawyer. What can I say. People new to the Rush community would be surprised to see how often it missed the top 20 among fans. We all love it, though. I wonder if it is the most down-graded song because we like the overall catalog so much and Tom Sawyer will always get it's due? It's never threatens my top 20, but I never ever ever would skip it. Essential live. 

8 hours ago, goose said:

We're cracking the 50s now, so I suppose now is a good time to check in how it's going album-wise.  I see that via my last post of songs Counterparts was the first album to be eliminated, with Snakes & Arrows just hanging on by virtue of the instrumentals.  This rounded get rid of the last of the band's adult contemporary music, an exploration that yielded some of the group's most forgettable songs, but also this list of beautifully emotive ones as well.

 

59. Time Stand Still -  one of RUSH'S absolute best thematically, lyrically, and vocally, it suffers from 80s production and a video that spawned hilarious parody.  Goodbye Hold Your Fire.

58.  Ghost Of A Chance - Neil was brilliantly analytical, to a fault, even.  As far as capturing what it's like for a hopeless intellectual to navigate the sea of love, he nails it here.

57. Here Again - Our first exposure to the promise Alex shows as one of rock's most emotive players

56. Hope - Alex in the raw

55. Time & Motion - One of my favorite later career tracks, brilliantly poetic

54. Sweet Miracle - After Neil's tragedy there were doubts about whether the band could rebound.  Did they ever!

53. Lakeside Park - Wonderfully nostalgic

52. Available Light - I love Neil's driving rhythm, and Geddy is at his absolute best as a singer here and on the next few tracks

51.  Middletown Dreams - A perfectly painted picture of the struggle against the mundane

50. Vital Signs - A dramatic musical turning point for the band, only one song has moved up more for me over the years

 

A lot of songs here that I would drop quite a bit below so many already eliminated.

Here Again- the horse is dead on that opinion. First album songs need not apply for top 60 status. 

Sweet Miracle I don't like. yet? We'll see. 
Hope is nice, but without the rest of the team it's far too high. 
Lakeside Park has always annoyed me vocally. 

Available, Ghost, Time&Motion are good songs that nevertheless are too high considering what came before. 

Vital, Middle, Time Stand are excellent. 

I really need to make a playlist of a few songs a lot of you keep inflating. I like Finding My Way to liking new songs.

 

1 hour ago, goose said:

The next batch of songs mirrors the energy that Enemy Within has.  Reflecting a lighter side of RUSH music, these  all have an upbeat feel to them that never fails to bring a smile to my face.  

 

71.  Where's My Thing - Best game show music ever

70. Take A Friend - 

69. Turn the Page - 

68. Cut To The Chase - What a groove!

67. Roll The Bones - Somehow RUSH turned a ridiculous rap into a great concert crowd moment

66. Making Memories - Despite the tedium, maybe (road) life's not so bad

65. Carnies 

64. Digital Man - one of my favorite drum lead-ins

63. Best I Can 

62. Need Some Love - 

61. Twilight Zone - Amazing vocals accompany an appreciated nod to one of my favorite childhood tv memories

60. How It Is - I love how the musical feel of this one works to counter despair expressed in the lyrics

I love that Take a Friend is high, because musically I love that one. I slam the first album for lyrics, and drop a lot of songs because to me they barely count as Rush. But taking the songs out of the catalog this one is good, and while I have Need Some Love extremely low, it is a fun rocker on it's own.

Best I Can is another pre-Rush Rush song, it just fell to album two. It's mostly forgettable to me. Making Memories I love more all the time. Very simple, but it works really well. 

Now on to the fully formed Rush contributions to this group- I love them all. The rap was a fun surprise that got old really quick, and was probably a bad idea as rap outside their actual voice as well. But you are right, it's a great tension break live. 

Every other song is strong. 

Another great grouping.

2 hours ago, goose said:

You know, I do, too, I think.  But they fit into the theme of the group.  As I've gotten beyond the songs I DONT much enjoy, ranking the songs has become more difficult, more fluid.  Depending on my mood, and the recency of having listened to a given song, I think a song listed here in the 70s could find a spot in the 20s.  Those three are perfect examples.  Mystic Rhythms and Losing It as well.

Actually you're right for me on that as well. Mystic Rhythms once was a top 20 for me. The world music effects started sounding like more mature versions of A Passage to Bangkok's. (Compare the stereotypical Passage Intro to the sound in Mystic after "African Sun." That's unfair, just my brain over used to them.  But I still love the song.

Losing It you're also right on. Those lyrics I loved from day one. On the same album with Subdivisions and Analog Kid it was a nice look at the other end of life. I probably should have it higher, too.

1 hour ago, goose said:

When it comes to Neil's lyrics, I've found I'm somewhat of an outlier here on TRF.  I generally prefer Neil's writing when it's less literal and more...lyrical.  But though Neil leaned toward the pedantic as a writer, he had his moments as a poet.  The following songs reflect that for me.

 

81. Freeze - the city crouches, steaming, in the early morning half-light

80. High Water - streaming down beyond our memory, streaming down inside our veins

79. Working Them Angels - memory humming at the heart of a factory town

78. Alien Shore - the silence between whisper and shout, the space between wonder and doubt

77. Scars - hungry child in the desert, and the flies that cloud her eyes

76. Between Sun and Moon - those bonfire lights in the mirror of sky, the space between wonder and why

75. Mystic Rhythms - nature seems to spin a supernatural way

74. War Paint - pound the drums with marshal beat, pound the streets with marching feet

73. Losing It - the writer stares with glassy eyes, defies the empty page

72. Enemy Within - things crawl in the darkness that imagination spins

 

Heading into the Top 70...

Still not into Freeze. Musically I should be- it's got a complexity and dissonance I often love in music. But in this case it's the music that halts me. I'll keep at it. 

High Water, Enemy Within, and Between Sun and Moon are favorites of mine, so I have them much higher. 

I agree on the others. All fine songs, indeed.

 

17 hours ago, goose said:

 

 

91. Dog Years - A humorous look at how quickly life moves and how we get caught up in the day-to-day and lose sight of what matters, with our tails between our ears.

90. Cold Fire - My buddy was sure that Neil was headed for divorce.  The look in your eye's as you head for the door.

89.  Tears - Geddy's second best lyrical effort, and a wonderful side 2 ballad of the band's most important album.  What would touch you deeper...?

88. Red Tide - Despite all we have accomplished in terms of progress, too often we can't seem to get out of our own way.  Some new wrinkle we are doomed to repeat...

87.  Open Secrets - Well I guess we all have these feelings...

86. Bravado - If love remains...

85. Different Strings - Geddy's best song, reflecting on the enduring musical collaboration with his lifelong friend.  Nothing to explain, it;s a part of us, to be found within a song...

84. Ghost Rider - Vapor Trails is the album where Neil, in recovery from personal tragedy, finally bears his soul.  Carry all those phantoms...

83.  The Pass - Perhaps more than any other RUSH song, the Pass hits the mark emotionally.  I remember it had just come out when I lost a student to suicide, and the song helped me process those emotions.  Christ, what have you done?!?

82. Witch Hunt - I may have outgrown this one a bit, but its message is as true now as ever.  Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand...

 

I never hated Dog Years even while acknowledging that the lyrics are a forced metaphor. And I too like the sentiment. It's a middling song for me lyrically, though. But that's as Rush goes, so better than most bands. Musically it's pretty damn good. 

Cold Fire has improved for me, and it's got the word play that Neil likes and I too enjoy. But it's a middle song for me. 

Tears bores me to tears, more than any other song Rush has made.

Red Tide I like, it could tone down the synth blasts and replace with anything Alex wants, though.

Open Secrets and Bravado have both improved for me, but I have them lower.

Different Strings is also my favorite Geddy song (with Rush)- I do like his solo album.

Ghost Rider has risen a lot for me off VT, it's an excellent song. It probably will keep climbing higher. 

The Pass never did for me what it does for most, but Rush's sparing use of curses makes "Christ, what have you done" punch hard as hell.

Witch Hunt is a song that resonates really well with me and is probably by far my favorite of this group. Interestingly it seems to speak to people of many beliefs. I've had debates with people that see the song as backing their beliefs while I see it as backing mine. To the point we both think the other must be wrong. 
That might be the strength of the song- that it can make me feel it is on my side when it's actually criticizing thinking in dichotomies. I hope that's the case. That makes a smart song even smarter. 

 

5 hours ago, goose said:

Breaking into the Top 100 now, and here's ten-plus-one songs that I like a lot, but that don't approach pinnacle RUSH compositions or performances.  I won't ever skip these, but I won't seek them out, either.  These are a group, and their exact order would depend on my mood.  

 

101. We Hold On - A decent album closer

100. Vapor Trail - A bit too somber for me at times

99. Leave That Thing Alone - Enjoyable enough, but not really that dynamic

98. Mission - Really good live, just OK on HYF

97. Driven - At first I loved it, and like Mission, it's a killer live track.  Horrible video.

96.  Superconductor - Speaking of horrible videos, this more than any other RUSH track is dragged down in video form.  On the disc I enjoy it just fine, minus the stupid "superconductor" echoed vocals.  I love the middle break

95. Beneath Between Behind - Neil's best lyrics on his debut album

94. Lessons - I really like everything about this one, though a better ending than  a fade out would be nice

93. Emotion Detector - One of my top 4 tracks from Power Windows

92. I Think I'm Going Bald - Recycles the In The Mood riff but adds a great groove and better sound.  Alex kills it on this one, and I like the lyrics and sentiment.  "Now, it must be wine!"  I could have this higher, but in the place of what I don't know.

91.  Out of the Cradle - A good closer to the comeback album, and a perfect segue into the list of 90 truly great RUSH songs that is to come.  Endlessly rocking...

 

 

 

There are no songs here I am needing higher, except maybe Beneath. That's by far the best song here. Agreed, it's a case of Neil showing us what he can do.

I'd also have Out of the Cradle a lot lower, it annoys me.

I'm glad you have Bald higher than most. It's not seriously intended and it's a much better version of a 'first album' style song. 

15 hours ago, goose said:

I've reached #111 in the rankings, and from this on I got no complaints about any of these.  Not one note of these tracks is ever skipped by me.  Here's the first ten in descending order of awesomeness.

 

111.  Limbo - RUSH's weakest instrumental, but still a decent listen

110. Face Up - It's derided by many, but I really like the groove

109. Faithless - Love the intro riff, the opening lines, the chorus, and Geddy's vocals.  Killer solo.  Killer.

108. Show Dont Tell - I remember hearing this on the radio for the first time, coming in mid-song and wondering who was ripping off old school RUSH.  It was RUSH, and Alex was BACK!!!!  

107. Heresy - I love the sentiment and the recognition of what was likely lost as a result of prolonged cold war politics.

106. Body Electric - Cool drum pattern, great energy in the chorus

105. Grand Designs - For all its quirky use of electronics, the synth era features some of Geddy's best vocals.

104. Lock and Key - Awesome break at 4:16

103. Peaceable Kingdom - Great lyrics and chorus, wicked bass groove.  Another song with a killer break, this one at 3:20

102. Leave That Thing Alone - A step above Limbo, for sure, but not really up to the standard of their more rocking instrumentals

 

Whew.  This is getting tougher.

 

As Rush instrumentals go, Limbo is lower echelon. But Rush really has a small bit of musical proficiency, so as rock instrumentals go, Limbo is still very good. Leave that thing Alone- same thing. 

I too love Face UP. More word play affection in this song, but it drives a point and it doesn't overreach. 

Faithless just doesn't work for me. Snakes and Vapor take more listens and more work for me, but I am getting there. I have to listen around what I don't like to hear what's good, and after that the elements I don't like diminish and the song rises. Maybe this will happen with Faithless. BTW- this is why I like lists. You gave me something to focus on. Maybe this killer solo you speak of will be my in. I honestly don't remember it because I already wasn't liking the song. Same thing for Peaceable Kingdom. I'll attend to that break. Others have pushed it as a good song. Maybe I should listen. 

Show Don't Tell was a minor let down for me. It didn't click. I never hated it, but I was disappointed. I wanted great, and for me it was middling. As Rush goes, for me it's mediocre. As music goes I still like the song. I don't skip it. 

Heresy I agree with you on. 

Body Electric has always been a song I love, no apologies. But I'm fine with it here. Everysong I have in this range I like. 

Grand Designs is way over indulgent in special effects, but the song is really good and I have it much higher. 

Lock and Key fluctuates for me. It's never bad, never great, but bounces up and down the middle range constantly. I guess you have it placed pretty accurately. 
 

11 hours ago, goose said:

Welcome to the "It's not you, it's me" section of my ranking.  These songs have everything I like about RUSH, but for some reason they just don't connect like others do.  Here's a dozen or so RUSH Songs I Know I Should Love But Don't...

 

124.  In The Mood - My least favorite off the debut, an album I love.  For some reason I like it's cousin I Think I'm Going Bald much better

123. Presto  -  Title track off another of my favorite RUSH albums, but it ranks toward the bottom.  Not bad, just not very engaging

122. Countdown - I love parts of the song - the middle keys section in particular - but it's plodding through the rest

123. Entre Nous - I used to like it more, and it's on my favorite album

122. Marathon - Some great parts to it, especially the building end.  That part's worth the wait, I think.

121. Bastille Day - The song kicks ass, classic hard-rocking RUSH.  Over time it's slid down the ranking, though

120.  Something For Nothing - It just feels incomplete.  The intro is fantastic, but the end needs more to it

119.  In the End - I used to really like it, but these days it's a chore to listen to

118.  Double Agent - This late-career attempt to capture some of their progginess falls short with the silly talking bits and "So Tiiiight!"

117. Armor and Sword - It's a rocker but a plodder that's too long and carries on

118. Prime Mover - I love the subject matter, and it likely would have worked better on a heavier album

117.  One Little Victory - Kick ass drums and lyrics, but once Geddy goes higher register it grates on me

116.  Far Cry - A rocker that suffers from too many Doo-Doo-Doos

Ok, a lot to look at here.

In the Mood holds charm because it's such a common tension break in concert. Simple and fun, nothing to think about. I have it quite low because it's a first album song that I barely see as Rush, but I like it. Like all of the first album songs it drops because to my ears it doesn't belong in the first place. 

Presto is a pretty song where nothing musically happens. A perfect in the middle song.

Countdown is a song I love. It's low for many people, though. I've learned to accept that. :)

Entres Nous  has risen over the years. But it's a middle song for sure.

Marathon has also risen, but not very high. Another middle song.

Bastille Day has dropped for me as well. And honestly it might be my own fault. I asked for something by Rush for Christmas, it was going to be my first Rush album. I recieved Caress of Steel. It was always the under selling cheapest tape available. But Bastille Day was the first song, and for a long long time it was the best song. I probably overplayed it. 

Something for Nothing is the best song off 2112, and I have it very high. I agree, Goose, you should like it more. :)

In the End I've always loved and it's never risen it dropped. Always ranked high. It's slow, it's simple, and I love it anyway.

Double Agent I'd have lower. The talking just doesn't work.

Armor is a Good song off a very weak album. It's fine here.

One Little Victory I agree completely on. That opening was a lie. That opening says the song and the album will be a return to greatness. And then it lets you down.

Far Cry out performs One Little, because that song is good to the end. The chorus pulls it through the faults. I have it higher. The album though, another disappointment.

Prime Mover is a song I love beyond explanation. It's top five for me. I don't think anyone else will have it even top 20.

3 minutes ago, goose said:

Time for another bunch of songs that don't quite hit the mark for me.  There are many, many song lyrics that Neil wrote that made an impression on me for being not only well-written but smart.  Occasionally, though,  I think his pedantic nature got the best of him to the detriment of the song.  So here are the ones that I'll classify as Just A Bit Too Smart for Their Own Good.

 

130. Anagram - I'm a natural puzzler, so I got the wordplay right out of the gate.  A clever idea, but it didn't make for an enduring RUSH classic.

129. Larger Bowl - "A pantoum" is better when you don't announce it as such. 

128. Animate - Sting & Co did Carl Jung better.  Much better.

127. Totem - Like Anagram, it's a fun first listen.

126. A Farewell To Kings - A rant against the Powers That Be reduced to its simplest terms.  

125. Cygnus X-1 Book II - A big improvement on Book I, but still the amazing music doesn't save it for me.  Once the lyrics and vocals kick in, I'm usually out.

I love Anagram. It's completely self indulgent but it's an indulgence I share. It's odd that it wasn't vetoed, though. 

I agree on Larger Bowl, though in fairness he did the same thing with Anagram.

Animate's a good song In fine with it. But it's not Synchronicity.

Totem doesn't really work for me.

I like Farewell, Outside of an epic it's hard to convey every nuance.

Hemispheres II is sloppy lyrically, but that music is perfection for me.